Alternate Ending
by Rachel Lee Tande
Summary: Bonus I added two paragraphs, that sort of fit the This is a short story, a darker perspective on what may have happened to Rhett and Scarlett at the end of GWTW.


**This is a short story, and a darker perspective on what may have happened to Rhett and Scarlett at the end of Gone with the Wind.**

I have corrected as much of the Grammar as I saw wrong. Thanks for all the help. Sometimes when I write I just don't think of those things. And now I know how to use my spell check, and grammar check. So hopefully my stories should be better.

(**An Ending) **

As Rhetts footsteps died in the upper hall, so did Scarlett's dreams. Scarlett stood at the bottom of the staircase shaking for a moment. Her mind was reeling, her heart breaking. Slowly the wheels in her complicated mind began to turn, and she strode into Rhetts study. Seating herself in the massive leather chair, she sighed. It embraced her, the scent of Rhett filling her nostrils. With slow determination she sought the drawer of Rhetts Desk. The drawer was locked, she knew that, he had always locked this drawer for fear Bonnie might come rambling through here someday. And with agile fingers she fumbled beneath the desk and found the skeleton key hidden under the desk. She held it in her view for a few fleeting moments. She opened the drawer with a click of the tumbler. She reached in the drawer her hand fumbled around until it fell upon the object of her desire. Scarlett raised the cold object to her sight, it was sleek and shinny with a mother of pearl barrel. "This is the only way she told herself. Wiping her running nose on the sleeve of the velvet dress. Looking closely at the mechanism she cocked the pistol and putting it to her temple she cried in a hoarse twisted voice, "I will always love you." As her eyes met those the cloudy grey ones of Rhett Butler who had just opened the door, and seeing Scarlett with revolver in her hand pointed at her delicate temple he cried out in anguish, "No, Scarlett..."Rhetts heart leapt clear up to his throat.

"Don't try to stop me Rhett!" Scarlett cried the hand that held the gun began to tremble.

"Scarlett, nothing is this bad. Killing yourself is not the answer." Rhett gasped his throat was suddenly dry, and he felt hot tears spilling from his eyes. He did not care, did not wipe them away. His thoughts were mingled. She could not, would not do this. After all they went through why would she cause everyone the pain of losing her.

"You do not know what bad is. With out you I have nothing! I will have nothing! Not Melanie, Mother, Father, Bonnie, their all gone, and you're leaving me. I have nobody. The old guard will never forgive me, if I wanted to be forgiven. And Ashley... well I don't want Ashley. I wish he were in that grave and not Melanie. It is his fault she is there. If he would have been the voice of reason she would not have attempted another child." she rambled on. All the while holding the pistol taut against her temple.

Rhett started walking toward her and she shouted, "don't come near me!"

Rhett stopped and ran his thick fingers through his slick hair. "Scarlett, you can't do this think of your children. Think of Wade and Ella. They need you."

A roar of cynical laughter poured from Scarlett at this. " Need me? That is so funny Rhett. And after all the times you yourself told me what a bad mother I am? My children don't need me, they don't even like me. They are afraid of me. They will be better off with Suellen and Will."

"Scarlett, yes they may be afraid of you, but they love you. You just need to spend sometime with them. Let them get to know you." Rhett cursed himself and his arguments with her on this subject. Who would have known that someday they would come back to haunt him.

" I tried that Rhett, really I did." Scarlett started as if she were trying to convince him. And he nodded showing he believed her. " But when you took Bonnie off that time, and I sat down and tried to play with them, I got no where. Wade was afraid of me, and Ella well she is so flutter brained I just found myself losing patience with her. It is no use, it will be better for everyone when I am gone." And she closed her eyes and fired.

Rhett stood there he could not believe his eyes. Scarlett lay at the foot of his desk, a black pool in the puddle of blood. The blood matched the carpet, and you could hardly tell were the blood ended and the rug began. Her face, her beautiful face was no more, just a pool like the rug and the blood. Rhett bent down, his hands unsteady and grasped her hand. Her beautiful hand, he circled around the slender fingers briefly with his own larger ones, the ring he had boughten to embarrass her shone brightly on the pale tiny hand. He was overwhelmed with guilt. And the molten tears flowed freely again. He remembered back, back to the days of war. He would go away in hopes of forgetting her. But he always returned, until he realized he must make her his, she was after all, his one obsession in life. Now she was lost to him forever, he felt suddenly ill. And his stomach bile began to rise. He had been angry with her, but he did not want her gone. Hell he was not even sure if he would have stayed away forever. And now he could no longer return and see her when his obsession reached the high point. No, he would never be able to satisfy his addiction again. She was gone forever, he could not bear this, anything but this. His blood chilled. And then he reached for the revolver, the only way to cure his addiction, would be to join her where ever she may be. And so Rhett cocked the revolver and put it to his head, taking Scarlett's limp lifeless bloody body in his arms he pulled the trigger. And all went black.

Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but Rhett Butler seldom realized it when caught by her charms. They were too much alike was the problem, so much so, they were both too stubborn to admit their feelings for each other. Finally realizing their love when it was too late.

**It was a long long time ago, in a torn apart land called the south. Her name was Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler a hungry and tortured soul. This soul was tore to shreds by many losses. The greatest being her true friend and only love Rhett Butler. Rhett was Scarlett's third and last husband. The life of the Butlers was not a happy one although in the beginning it appeared to have the makings of a good one, but the pompous Ashley Wilkes saw to it whatever wall of trust was built was demolished. **

**All we have here is a life time, what we do with our life time depends on the individual. As for the Butlers they did a lot in there lifetime. Both survived the hunger and devastation of the Civil War, but their tempestuous love was an obstacle neither would live through. Years and years of hateful words built a wall between them, and when that wall finally came down. The impact of the affair was too much for the both of them. And so they ended the hurt**.


End file.
